Emotions
by ForciblySilent
Summary: The strange emotionless state alchemist... The powerful twins... The alchemic thief... What do they have to do with eachother?
1. Chapter 1

Dusk was setting, casting an eerie glow to the graveyard. A couple left the grave they'd been visiting, their footsteps the only sound in the quiet setting. A caretaker glanced over- sure enough, the figure was still there. A cloaked figure had been standing in front of a grave all day long, their hood pulled up to cover their face. To be honest, the caretaker was getting a bit spooked. He was about to walk over and investigate when they moved suddenly, whirling around and walking hurriedly away. He could have sworn he heard a sob when they walked by, and as much as he hates to admit it, he is glad they weren't a ghost.

It had been the first time she'd gone to see the grave. Sanding in front of it, she'd felt frozen- immobilized. She'd forgotten just how much memories could hurt. She walks quickly towards her house, just another figure in the darkening streets. She can't help but smirk to herself- that won't last long.

She reaches her house and lets herself in silently. She locks the door behind her. Nobody's welcome into this girl's home.

The living room, like the rest of the house, is void of anything to make it feel homey. Nothing personal is displayed. Everything, _everything_, is contemporary, comparable to a newly-bought home. The funny thing is that she's been living here alone for about three years.

Everywhere you look in this house, you see the same blank, emotionless walls. No personality shows. Looking at the woman who lives here, you see the same thing. An empty wall, with no personality to be had. She walks up the decor-less staircase and lets herself into her office. Then she picks up a book detailing the laws of alchemy. Even though this is something she's already memorized, she studies it again. Her score will have to be perfect- she knows this. She studies late into the night, and then she finally allows herself to sleep.

The next day means a hurried cup of coffee before heading off to take the written part of the state alchemist exam. When she arrives, she is given some strange looks. She is, after all, the only female taking the test. Their attention is further caught by her emotionless expression and voice. She definitely seems strange to all around her. She doesn't seem to notice the stares, grabbing the assigned paper and getting started.

When she walks out of Central Command, she's surrounded by men headed towards their patiently-waiting familes. She has no family waiting for her, and so she walks home alone.

She thinks quietly about her next exam, when she finds out she passed the written part. The next part will end with her either passing, or scheduled for execution.

He'd watched her go into Central Command with the men. Did she even recognize him? He doubted it. It'd been years. He stood, trying to get the courage to wait for her. Why was he so scared? It was just a girl. They'd known each other, before she disappeared. So why did seeing her again make him feel so nervous? He missed her, he supposed. No, that wasn't it. It was that look on her face- that blank stare- it was something he'd seen before, years ago. Every time he looked in a mirror.

Watching her leave, he wondered if she'd made it, and more importantly, why she wanted to.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two FECK YEAH **

**Had this typed up for about a week now, lol... X'D **

**PFFFT ANYWHO HERE YA GO MY BUDS. **

They watched the state alchemists walk in, giving each a close look. Despite the fact that many look promising, they can't help but feel a ping of disappointment. "So he didn't come, huh." They sigh. "What a shame." Then they stand up, and begin the physical part of the exam.

* * *

She walks in with the others, waiting silently and looking around blankly at her competition. Most are full-grown men, but she also sees a boy and a girl about her age, 17. They're obviously twins, as they are very similar in appearance. The only noticeable difference is their height- the girl is rather short compared to her brother.

She wonders vaguely what they're doing here, but she doesn't have long to think before the exam begins. Immediately the others run forward. One creates a huge ball of ice out of water before is suddenly splashes back into water, and the examiners shake thier heads at his mistake. Another seems to be having trouble drawing a circle, which she recognizes as stone transmutation.

The twins step up next. They both pull out a knife, slitting their own wrists. Black blood, strangely enough, starts to bead at an alarming rate. Soon a large puddle has formed, and the blood takes a shape, until both are holding a black spear. The examiners look forward in interest.

The girl sighes; everyone else has had their turn. She steps forward. "I want one of the prisoners scheduled for execution."

Silence. And then, a voice speaks up. The head official tells her, "You have to use something in this room." The girl sighs. "So someone else then." Her emotionless expression does not waver. "I can use any one of these alchemists, but if they have family, there will be some very unhappy citizens."

This time the silence is longer. Then, "Someone get a prisoner." Though the girl's face is emotionless, inwardly she sighs in relief.

* * *

Soon a prisoner stands before her, fully cuffed. His eyes are wide and he stares at her expressionless face in terror. She sighs and, for the first time, takes her hands out of her pockets. Her fists unfurl slowly to reveal two transmutation circles tattooed on the palms. The silence is poisonous in the air, until her circles start to give off red alchemic sparks. The stone ground under the man's feet seems to waver, until he starts screaming. The onlookers realize it's not the stone moving, but rather the man's feet becoming stone.

Many turn away, sickened by the sight, but more stare in shock at this emotionless girl and her victim. In less than a minute, the man becomes a statue, his face pulled into a grimace of pain and fear. Again she pockets her fists.

She can feel their eyes on her. When the whispering starts, she doesn't even flinch. She stands there, staring at her handiwork. Seconds tick by, turning into silent, awkward minutes, until finally the head official clears his throat. "Thank you. You all may go now."

The girl, along with the twins, is told she can return for the interview portion tomorrow.

-TROLOLOL TIMESKIP TROLOLOL-

Sitting in the chair, the girl calmly faces the Fuhrer. He stares at her with his one good eye, taking in her plain, uncaring appearance. "So." He starts. "You turn people into sone."

"Yes." The girl says dully.

"What is your name?" He continues to stare at her.

"Elena Bloodstone, sir." She does not worry about him recognizing her name. None of her family that she knows of was in the military.

"Why do you want to become a state alchemist?" He stares closely at her. She words her next answer carefully.

"There is someone I need to find." He doesn't push the topic, but his eyes narrow at the word, "someone". He continues to question her, getting only flat, emotionless replies in return.

When she is sent home, both she and the Fuhrer are sure she's made it.


	3. Chapter 3

Finally, I'm updating another chapter! 

I hope you all like it! :P 

_The day was foggy, somewhere between rainy and sunny. An emotionless sky, neither gloomy nor glad. Her father had always wanted her to be like this grey sky. _

_She was eleven, riding with him in the car. School had just ended for the day and her backpack rested in the backseat. After her test, she would finish her homework. The girl gazed out the window, trying to ignore the man beside her. _

_As he drove, her father was grinning, and it set her nerves on end. All month he'd been in a temper, due to a call from the Knights family. It was odd to see him so cheerful, and it made her incredibly nervous. _

"_I hope you're ready for this, Elena. Because it's high time you learned your lesson." Her father's voice struck through her head. They'd parked. Elena looked blankly at the house of her father's student, a teenager named Solf Kimblee. He was lucky enough to learn her father's brand of alchemy, whereas she was forced to learn their creation. _

_Her father stepped out of the car, and she silently followed him into the house, and from there, into the basement. She sat on her stool, her designated seat whenever they came. Her father joined Solf and they conferred quietly before walking up to the metal table in the room, which was covered in research material. They shuffled through it all before Solf flippantly handed her father a file, then moved to stand against the wall next to a second door, whistling a tune that made Elena's skin crawl every time she heard it. _

_Her father handed her the file. In it would be information about the test subject; what age they were, what job they had, what their family was like, their likes and dislikes, and more. After reading through it all, she would go through the next door and turn them into stone. Elena sighed and opened the file. _

_Immediately it fell from her hands, and she stared at the pages spilling out with wide, frightened eyes. "M-mommy?" She spoke finally, looking up at her terrifyingly large father. Solf's whistling seemed to grow louder. _

_He nodded with a nasty grin. "Yes, Elena. Mommy. You see? This is why you don't tell anyone any secrets. Especially not Thomas, or his irresponsible son." _

_Elena's eyes widened. "I didn't tell anyone! Please, Daddy, I swear!" She shrieked. Immediately he sent a blow to her gut, knocking her off of the stool. She sprawled onto the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. _

"_Get up. You shouldn't lie to me, Elena. Now get in there and kill her." Her father demanded coldly. _

_The girl shook her head. "No! I won't do it!" _

_Another brutal kick was delivered to her stomach. "You'll damn well do what I tell you to do, Elena!" Her father yelled. _

_The whistling grew louder, drowning out her father's words and making her clamp her hands over her ears as it reached a deafening pitch, before—_

**BRING! **

Elena wakes suddenly to the ringing of the phone. The seventeen year old tiredly glances at her clock; 9:00 am. She's slept far later than usual. She rises and answers the phone. "Hello?" As usual, her voice is flat and emotionless.

"Is this Elena Bloodstone?" The voice on the other line is clipped, official, formal.

"Yes, this is she." The young woman answers calmly.

"Congratulations. You have been accepted as a State Alchemist. You are to report to Colonel Mustang ASAP." The person tells her.

Elena doesn't miss a beat. "Yes, thank you." She hangs up and heads downstairs to make herself a cup of coffee.

-o-o-o-

Soon after, she has dressed in her usual red shirt and black slacks, and long black overcoat, and is walking calmly to Central Command. As always her gaze is emotionless, as is everything else about her.

It is fairly easy to find Mustang's office. She knocks on the door and can hear the tail end of a conversation. "Maes, Maes, as… interesting… as your story about Elicia is, I finally have an excuse to go… Yeah, I got that… Yeah, yeah, go on with yourself. Goodbye, Maes." A click, then. "Come in."

Elena enters the room silently, pocketing he hands as she walks further in. She stares straight at Mustang, and he analyses her as well. She's definitely not the kind of person he's used to. You don't see someone devoid of emotion often, and he gets an odd feeling about her, like she's hiding something. He shrugs it off though; it's none of his business, and gets to work.

"Congratulations, you are now a dog of the military." He says coolly, giving her a form detailing her alchemist's name, Stone Blood, and a silver pocketwatch.

Elena nods emotionlessly. "Thank you."

"You will work under me for the time being. Your first mission is to track down an alchemic thief, the Stray Alchemist. He keeps stealing research materials from restricted libraries. You will take him down, no matter what." He informs her, and hands her a file with an illustration of said alchemist and the rest of his profile.

Elena scans his name, Dante Knights, and doesn't react. Still, her eyes seem to sharpen vaguely. So this is what has come of him. Elena nods and looks up at her commanding officer. "Yes sir." She heads out to find the thief.


	4. Chapter 4

**Another chappie? Wow, I'm on a roll! :D **

**Well, enjoy. :) **

Elena stands guard at the state library, forbidden to civilians. Her gaze is emotionless as she waits patiently to see if Dante Knights tries to steal any more research notes. Part of her doesn't believe it. Dante Knights? He was a young, innocent kid when they were children. She can hardly believe that he's become a thief.

Night has fallen long before anything happens. It's a moonless night, and the grounds would be pitch black if not for the streetlights posted at the sides of the road, and the occasional headlights of a passing car. Most people at this hour would be asleep, as it is nearly midnight, but Elena won't be tired for several more hours, so she stands at attention calmly, waiting for the thief to strike.

Across the street, a young couple walks by, chattering happily. A shadow flickers in front of a streetlight.

Then, the shadow is gone.

Elena stiffens and watches closely as a shadowed figure makes their way silently over to her side, towards the library. When the shadow disappears, she sets off after it, moving quickly and calmly, her eyes sweeping the area for a hint of the person's location.

There's a prolonged silence, and then a crash can be heard from inside the library. Immediately Elena winces, realizing her mistake, and hurries back to the front door, which is slightly ajar. She slips in quietly.

Elena walks through the aisles of books quickly, her feet making quiet tapping noises on the tile floor. She strains her ears for the sound of an alternate footstep, though it doesn't seem to be coming. As she searches for the intruder, the young woman comes across a fallen chair at a desk, more than likely the source of the sudden crash she'd heard only moments earlier.

That's when she hears it: the pattering of running feet. Elena whirls around and heads quickly towards the sound.

She sees a flash of obsidian hair in the dim light and freezes. It really is him. It really is Dante Knights.

In that second that Elena pauses, the Stray Alchemist makes it to the door. The girl snaps back to reality just in time to watch him run out the door. She sighs and heads out herself. He's long gone, though, and it's late, so she heads home.

-o-o-o-

Elena sits in her kitchen alone, clutching a cup of coffee. It's the first time in ages she's needed one in the evening, but today she needs to clear her head. Dante Knights. So he's alive, even. She hasn't seen him in years, but she remembers him well. Before it all went downhill, he had been her friend. He had trusted her. He was a trusting person.

Elena gave a dry, nearly careless smirk. What a fool he had been, to trust her. She was Elena Bloodstone, after all. No one else had. Still. She sighs and looks into her cup of coffee. "What is he doing, stealing research materials?" She mutters aloud, though of course there is no answer.

She takes a sip of her coffee and reaches the decision she knows she ultimately would have made no matter what. She has to forget about who he once was. Who he was to her, is nothing now. Now, he is nothing more than the Stray Alchemist, a thief, and it is her duty as part of the military to imprison him. That's not going to change, even if everything else does. He's no one important.

Not anymore.


End file.
